How to make Patatas Bravas

I have been making Patatas Bravas for years. It’s a real staple tapas dish that everyone I know loves. And I am quite sure everyone has their own way of making it. But, this is the version that has evolved through trial, error and eating in way too many tapas bars in London! I’d like to learn how to make them properly!

As you may have noticed from some of my other posts I am a bit of a tapas fan. Here’s my Gambas pil pil – and here’s my croquetas. One of my favourite ways to entertain is to put together a range of tapas.

This particular version of patatas bravas has the addition of some chorizo and a home-made alioli, which makes a substantial dish you can serve as part of a tapas menu or alone with just a side salad for supper

Ingredients for two

For the patatas

1 medium to large potato

1 tablespoon of olive oil

For the tomato sauce

1 shallot or half a spanish onion

1 small chili or half a teaspoon of chili flakes

Half a tablespoon of olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes

2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika

For the chorizo

2-4 inches of chorizo sausage

2 tablespoons of dry sherry

For the alioli

¼ pint home made mayonnaise

3 cloves of garlic

Method

First start the tomato sauce

Chop the shallot and garlic finely and soften in olive oil for 5 minutes or so. Now add the finely chopped, deseeded chili (or chili flakes) and paprika and cook for a minute longer

Add the tin of tomatoes and simmer gently, stirring occasionally for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180c

Peel the potatoes and chop into 2cm cubes.

Heat the oil in a baking tray till smoking gently, then add the potato cubes and stir through the oil

Put in the oven

Watch them carefully and turn them once or twice so that they brown nicely.

Remove the skin from the chorizo and slice into thick chunks. Cover with sherry (wine will work if you don’t have any dry sherry!). Place in the oven

Crush the remaining cloves of garlic and stir through the mayonnaise.

Once the potatoes are golden brown, you should be able to serve the dish.

Drain the chorizo (you should have softer chunks and some of the fat will have cooked off)

Drain the potatoes on kitchen roll.

Mix chorizo and potatoes together.

Check the seasoning of the tomato sauce and adjust as necessary.

Spread the tomato sauce over the patatas and then add alioli on top of that. Garnish with flat leafed parsley